Aeroplane.



3. H. TOLIVIAN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATlON FILED FEB. 4. 1913.

L1Lkfi$ Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

iaeaesa.

SCOTT H. TOLMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AEnorLann.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Wee. 21, 1915.

Application filed February 4, 1913. Serial No. 746,136.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SCo'r'r H. TOLMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aeroplanes, and is illustrated by the accompanying drawings of which Figure 1 represents an elevation of one of the lateral extremities. Fig. 2 represents a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a supporting plane of arched formation. Fig. 3 represents an inverted plan view of a frame embodying the present invention. Fig. 4 represents an end elevation of such frame, the supporting plane being omitted. Fig. 5 represents a section showing adjacent portions of two sheets of -thin steel welded to each other. Fig. 6 represents a vertical section, on a larger scale, of a longitudinal metallic rib and sheet-metal supporting plane welded thereto.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

Referring first to Figs. 3 and 4, the frame structure includes a longitudinal central body portion 10, laterally extending arms 11 and longitudinally extending ribs 12 disposed beneath the arms. The ribs 12 are composed of metal, and when the aeroplane is in operation it is supported by a plane 15 of thin flexible sheet steel. The supporting plane is secured to the ribs 12, preferably by welding, and in order to facilitate such welding the ribs are preferably made according to the cross section shown by Fig. 6, such cross section being U-shaped. A rib of this formation is light and strong and enables a welding electrode to engage the rib at a point close to the contacting portions of the rib and supporting plane. The supporting plane may be continuous, and in that case it comprises a plurality of relatively small sections of sheet metal welded to each other in any suitable relation,-such for example as that shown by Fig. 5, which to shows a simple lap joint.

machine is not in operation and 'thus preserve the arched formation. An advantage of the arched formation is that the longitudinal ridges which divide the supporting plane into troughs act' as keels to prevent lateral drifting. The body portion 10 and arms 11 are likewise composed of metal, the entire structure being non-combustible.

Figs. 1, 2 and 6 show the depending ribs 12 resting upon the plane 15, but I do not limit my invention to this specific arrangement, as itis within the scope of the invention to otherwise arrange the plane.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, althou h without attempting to set forth all the orms in which it may be made or all the modes of its use, what I claim is:

1. An aeroplane having a sheet metal gliding element, and a load-sustaining frame including parallel metallic load-sustaining members arranged longitudinally to rest upon the upper surface of said gliding element and welded to the latter.

2. An aeroplane having a sheet metal gliding element, and a frame comprising trans verse load-sustaining members, and longitudinal metallic rib members underlying and aii'ixed to said transverse members, said rib members being arranged to rest upon the upper surface of said gliding element and being welded to the latter.

3. An aeroplane having a sheet metal gliding element, a plurality of longitudinal metallic rib members arranged to rest upon and welded to the upper surface of said gliding element, and a load-sustaining frame arranged to rest upon said rib members.

4. An aeroplane having a frame and a sheet metal supporting plane, said frame comprising depending longitudinal metal ribs disposed upon the upper surface of said In testimony whereof I have aflixed my plane, and metal members above the planesignature, in presence of two witnesses.

engagin portions of said ribs said sheet metal p :me being welded to said ribs and bLOlT TOLMAN' 5 arched between said ribs, the arched por- Witnesses:

tions being welded to said metal members \VALTER P. ABELL,

between the ribs. PETER W. Pezzs'rn. 

